Irn-Bru fan gets tattoo in support of campaign against changes to the recipe

AN Irn-Bru fan has taken his dedication to the drink’s original recipe to an ink-redible level by getting a ‘Save Irn-Bru’ tattoo.

Photographer Lee Jones was so upset by the reduction in sugar that he now has a permanent memorial to the ‘real’ thing on his arm.

It comes as makers AG Barr confirm production has ceased on the old recipe, with all of the Irn-Bru now flowing out of the firm’s Cumbernauld and Milton Keynes plants having 50% less sugar.

Lee told The Sunday Post: “On the 11th January every year, me and my pal celebrate our friendship by getting pretty terrible tattoos. This year I had to dedicate it to real Bru!”

The 31-year-old says he’s not convinced by Irn-Bru bosses’ assertion that customers want less sugar in Scotland’s other national drink.

“It’s clearly to do with sugar tax. It’s been said a million times, but if we want less sugar there are Sugar Free/Xtra options,” Lee says.

“There’s no need to mess with the original. It’s a blatant disregard for us consumers on their part.”

He admits he may now have a small stash of the original recipe stored away in case of emergencies, having enjoyed the drink since he was a child growing up in Yorkshire.

Now living in Shawlands, Glasgow, he says he ‘never truly understood’ the aura around Irn-Bru until moving north.

“There’s a serious but playful stubbornness up here I identify with, and getting the tattoo just felt appropriate,” he adds.

AG Barr caused quite a stir when they made the recipe change announcement last week.

The move had been expected with the forthcoming sugar tax, but thousands have since joined Facebook groups and signed petitions to call for a rethink.

A number of famous faces have also joined the campaign.

Sunday Post columnist Lorraine Kelly criticised the decision, saying: “Barr’s do sugar-free Irn-Bru so there’s already a choice. They should reverse this decision. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“It’s crazy, like painting the Forth Road Bridge yellow or not having a traffic cone on the Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow.”

© PA

Former Rangers boss Ally McCoist also issued an appeal to AG Barr not to change “the best hangover cure.”

Earlier this week, the founder of the Save Real Irn-Bru Facebook page Stephen McLeod told us: “Since launching, we’ve had loads of people sharing their stories and concerns; everything from the question of consumer choice, to the problems people with sensitivities to aspartame face.

“The other day we had a guy who said he had stocked up on 250 cans worth to try and ride this whole thing out.”

As well as Facebook campaigns, a petition launched by Ayr joiner Ryan Allen has reached over 40,000 signatures with calls for a boycott of the brand as a whole once supplies of the old recipe have been stockpiled.

A message to our fans. And some much-needed facts about BRU. pic.twitter.com/53VqTUSalt

— IRN-BRU (@irnbru) January 5, 2018

In taste tests carried out yesterday, many Scots couldn’t actually tell the difference between samples of the two differing drinks.

And AG Barr have insisted that people should just give it a try.

A spokesperson said: “We know that our loyal drinkers love Irn-Bru for its unique great taste and we’ve worked hard to deliver this. We ran lots of taste tests that showed most people can’t tell the difference – 9 out of 10 regular Irn-Bru drinkers told us we had a good or excellent taste match.

“Irn-Bru will remain a sugary drink as the sugar in a can will reduce from 8.5 teaspoons to 4. A can of Irn-Bru today has just under 140 calories and in the future will have around 65 calories.

“Most shoppers can expect to buy Irn-Bru with reduced sugar from later this month. Give it a try when it comes out!”